Binaural eyeglass hearing aid construction



Sept. 13, 1960 s. POSEN ETAL 2,952,748

BINAURAL EYEGLASS HEARING AID CONSTRUCTION Filed June 21. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a I L II J E 3;;

//VVENTOR$ LOU/S 4. MC NABB 5AM FUSE/V y M 67 ml ATTORNEY Sept. 13, 1960 s. POSEN ETAL 2,952,748

BINAURAL EYEGLASS HEARING AID CONSTRUCTION Filed June 21. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/G7 'F/G F/G9 F/G/O 14d J26 4g wit '5 J42 nulimn 136 LOU/5 .4. Ma NABB J24 514M FUSE/V 1/6 6 8) 544174. 6 End ATTORNEY Uni d States Paten BINAURAL EYEGLASS HEARING AID CONSTRUCTION Sam Posen, Chicago, and Louis A. McNabb, Glenview,

I]l., assignors to Beltone Hearing Aid Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed June 21, 1955, Ser. No. 516,974

7 Claims. Cl. 179-107 This invention relates to an improved hearing aid construction of the eyeglass type adapted for binaural use. Commercial hearing aids have heretofore been of the type wherein the chassis, battery and microphone are car ried in the pocket of the user and the receiver is mounted on the ear piece located in the ear of the user. While such construction is of considerable aid to the hard of hearing, it does give rise to a number of inherent difficulties. One of these is the problem of wiring, for the user muststring a cable from the ear piece to his pocket or other location of the hearing aid casing. Necessarily this is troublesome. Also, it is noticeable and often makes the user self-conscious. Additionally, the system is monaural in character since it is usually impossible to provide two separate systems with spaced microphones as required for binaural reception. Still another problem lies in the clothing noises created about the microphone by body movements. While good design can reduce these noises, they can never be entirely eliminated.

In accordance with the present invention an improved hearing aid is provided in eyeglass form. In brief, the front or glass carrying portion of the eyeglass frame is made of conventional construction, preferably using a plastic as the glass supporting medium. Each of the temples or rearwardly extending bars of the unit is a complete self-contained hearing aid system including its own microphone, battery, receiver, and other parts. The receiver is connected to the ear-piece of the receiver by a flexible plastic sound tube which extends the comparatively short distance from the receiver to the ear. Individual volume controls for the separate hearing aid systems are provided to permit their separate adjustment to the sound levels desired.

The resultant hearing aid is integrated with the eyeglass frame in a manner which attracts minimum attention from observers. Either temple may be replaced by a dummy if hearing loss requiring correction exists in only one ear. Whether a single hearing aid or two are used, the full binaural efiect of normal hearing is provided since the microphone in each temple is located in close proximity to the ear. That is, when one ear has normal hearing response it gives binaural hearing in conjunction with a single hearing aid temple, and when both ears are deficient two hearing aid temples serve to give binaural response.

The eyeglass hearing aid construction herein described is also characterized by the absence of wiring extending from one temple to the other, together with the noise and unsightliness normally attendant such wiring.

It is therefore a general objectvof the present invention to provide an improved hearing aid of the eyeglass type.

More specifically it is an object of the present invention to provide an eyeglass hearing aid wherein each or one of the temples, as desired, defines a unitary hearing aid. v

.Still another object of the present invention is to provide an eyeglass hearing aid of the binauraltype. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved hearing aid construction in which a separate unit is provided for each ear and may be adjusted to compensate for the hearing loss of that ear.

Further it is an object of the present invention to,

provide an eyeglass hearing aid wherein the microphone is located adjacent the ear to which sound is supplied.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an eyeglass temple construction including a complete hearing aid.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an eyeglass .hearing aid in which the battery is received in a battery compartment for convenient battery replacement and inconspicuous appearance in normal use.

Other and additional objects of the present inventioninclude the provision of an improved eyeglass hearing aid embodying features of construction, combination, and arrangement wherein the unit is small in size, inconspicuous, modest in Weight, self-contained, inexpensive and simple to manufacture and reliable, to the end that an apparatus of maximum utility to the hard of hearing is provided.

v The novel features which we believe to be characteristic of our invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as toits organization and method of operation, will best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a complete eyeglass frame in which one of the temples includes the hearing aid of the present invention and the other temple is a matching dummy;

Figure 2 is a somewhat enlarged cross-sectional view through axis 22, Figure 1, with the inner cover plate of the hearing aid temple removed;

Figure 3 is a somewhat enlarged cross-sectional view through axis 3-3, Figure 1, with portions of the housing broken away to show the interior construction;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along axis 4-4, Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged crossesectional view through axis 5-5, Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a view in perspective showing the battery drawer construction;

Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view axis 77, Figure 2;

Figure 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view through axis 8 8, Figure 2;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary side elevation view of a temple including an alternative volume control construction; I Figure 10 is a fragmentary view like Figure 4 showing the alternative volumecontrol construction of Figure 7;

Figure 11 is a view like Figure 2 but showing an alternate form of the present invention in full elevation form;

Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view through axis 12'-12, Figure 11 with parts in plan View;

Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view through axis 13-13, Figure 12;

Figure 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view through axis 1414, Figure 13 with the battery shown in plan; and

Figure 15 is a view like Figure 14 with the battery door open and the battery removed.

Referring now to Figure 1, the complete eyeglass frame includes a front F and a pair of temples T and T. The front F may, for example, include a plastic frame 10 defining a nose bridge 10a and a pair of lens-receiving through frames 10b having temple-supporting hinges 10c. The

Patented Sept, 13, 19 60 vent-ion, these lenses may be ground flat if no visual correction is required.

The temples T and T are riveted or otherwise aflixed to the hinges 100 as shown. In the specific construction of Figure 1, the temple T is a dummy and is formed of plastic material of the same shape and exterior conformation as the hearing aid temple T, all as shown in Figure 1. As is described in further detail hereinafter, the temple T may, desired, also be a hearing aid unit or, if desired, the hearing aid temple may be the right temple and the left temple may be a dummy, all as required to overcome the hearing deficiencies of the wearer.

The construction of the hearing aid temple T is shown generally in Figure 1 and in detail in Figures 2 to 6. It consists of a main housing 14 which is of suitable plastic material and is formed in the shape shown by suitable plastic molding processes. It is of generally channel shaped cross-section as is hereinafter described in further detail. It receives the mating inner cover plate 16 to formthe complete casing having cavities (22 and 24, Figure 4) within which the hearing aid components are mounted.

The housing 14 is of solid construction in the region 14a where it is affixed to the hinges c. Rearwardly of this region the housing is of U-shaped conformation as shown in Figure 7, and at 14b, Figure 2. In this region the housing 14 tapers gradually to increasing depth until the maximum depth is reached in the region 140, as shown. Rearwardly of the region 140 the housing 14 is of solid construction at 14d. Here the bottom face '14 of the housing is of concave shape to seat on the ear of the wearer, thereby sustaining the complete unit in conventional eyeglass fashion. Rearwardly of the portion 14d, the housing 14 extends inwardly and downwardly in region 14g. The inward tilt of this section of the housing is best shown in Figure 4. The region 14g may grip the head of the wearer and thus serve to provide additional support for the complete unit in the same fashion as may be done with conventional eyeglasses.

The housing 14 is closed on its interior side by the cover 16. As shown best in Figures 1 and 4, this cover is of mating conformation with the housing 14. Additionally, it is shaped in its forward end 16a to fit into the socket 14h formed in the housing 14. The cover 16 is secured in place by the screws 18, Figures 1 and 4. These are threadedly received in the metal sockets 20 embedded in the housing 14 to form a tight threaded It will he observed that the housing 14 and the cover 16 cooperate to form a forward chamber 22, Figure 4, and a rear chamber 24, Figure 4. The former chamber encloses the circuit components of the hearing aid unit indicated at 26, the volume control and on-oti switch indicated at 28, and the receiver or sound reproducer indicated at 30. The chamber 24 encloses the battery 32 and the microphone or sound pick-up unit 34. t

The volume control 28 and the circuit components 26 are mounted on a common chassis or panel 31, Figure 4, constructed of insulating material. Preferably, this material is a ceramic which carries on one face a printed circuit defining the necessary amplifying circuit, including resistances. and the requisite circuit connections. The panel or chassis 31 may carry the transistors 26a and the capacitors 261) which are the comparatively bulky components which form the amplifying circuits. These components are located on the outboard side of the chassis or panel as shown in Figure 4. As also shown in that fi-gure, the panel 31 may also carry the on-off switch and volume control 28.

The volume control 28 has an adjusting knob 28a which extends through a slot 14 formed on the top surface of the housing 14. As will be seen in Figure 1, this control is rather inconspicuously positioned 3 1 m y be adjusted by the wearer to suit the particular hearing conditions. encountered.

Rearwardly of the on-oif switch and volume control 28, the housing 14 receives the receiver or sound reproducer 30. This unit is sandwiched in position by a plurality of bands 30a of resilient rubber or like material. These serve to insulate the reproducer 30 from vibrations and shock imparted to the housing 14. The reproduc'er 30 has a sound output tube shown at 30b, Figure 3, which receives the sound tube 33, Figures 1 and 4. This sound tube is of plastic material approximating the color of the human skin and extends to the ear of the wearer to fit to the plastic ear mold (not shown) in the ear. The ear mold is of conventional construction to fit snugly in the "outer ear and has a channel defining a sound tube extending to the inner ear of the wearer. Thus the sound created by the reproducer 30 is channeled into the inner ear of the wearer through the tube 33 and the passage in the ear mold (notshown).

The length of the sound tube 33 is quite short. For example, it may be of the order of one inch long. It thus does not appreciably attenuate the sound and hence serves as an eflicient medium to couple the reproducer 30 to the ear of the wearer.

The cavity 24 formed in the rear part of the housing :14 receives the microphone 34 as shown Figures 3 and 4; The microphone is resiliently supported within the cavity by the resilient rubber bands 34a which are sandwiched between the microphone and the housing. An opening 14k is provided in registration with the sound-receiving face of the microphone 34 to communicate to the microphone the sound incident on the portion 14g of the housing 14.

The cavity 24 receives the battery 32 in the portion forward of the microphone 34. The battery is received in the drawer 36, shown in perspective in Figure 6. This drawer has a cylindrical battery-receiving cavity or com-. partment indicated at 36a, Figure 6, which is constricted at its bottom face by the annular web 36b. In use, the battery 32 has a terminal 32a Figures 4 and 5, which extends through the window defined by the web 36b for electrical cont-act with the inner spring contact 3-8, as shown. The outer spring contact 40, Figures 4 and 5, seats on the bottom face of the battery 32 to form the complete battery connection.

As is seen in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the housing 14 defines a window or opening 14m which receives the drawer .36. The conformation of this window is such as to snugly receive the drawer. Also, the housing 14 defines a pair of rails 14n, Figure 2, against which the drawer 36 seats when in place as shown in Figure 5.

The spring contacts 38 and 40 seat against the opposite sides of the battery 32 to hold the drawer in closed position. They also serve to establish electrical contact with the two battery terminals. The resilient pressure of these contacts serves to provide some lock washer action to hold the drawer closed against shock and vibration. The drawer 36 has a notch 360 formed in its outer face to pass to outer spring contact 40.

If desired, a removable block 42, Fig. 4, may be provided to act as a stop to secure the drawer 36 in inserted position.

Asshown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 8 the portion 14d of housing 14 serves both as a physical connector and as a carrier for the necessary circuit connections. These circuit connections extend from the microphone 34 (two terminals) and the battery 32 (two terminals) to the'porti'ons of the unit inwardly of the portion 14d. The necessary connectors may be in the form of wires embedded in the plastic constituting the housing 14 as shown at 44, Figure 8. Alternatively, printed cir cuitv conductors may be formed on the surface of the housing 14, especially the inner surface which is covered by the cover 16.

In use, the hearing aid temple T' serves to pick up sound incident upon the microphone 34; amplify such sound by the amplifying action of the circuit and components on panel or chassis 31; and reproduce the same through receiver 30 and tube 33 at the inner ear of the wearer. By design of the circuitry and the characteristics of the microphone 34 and receiver 30, the frequency characteristics of such sound may be chosen to compensate for the hearing loss of the wearer in the ear to which the tube 33 is connected.

' The battery 32 may be a low voltage battery, such as 1.25 volt battery. When it is necessary to replace the battery the user need only remove the drawer 36 (first de-' taching the stop 42, if present), replace the battery, and restore the drawer 36 to its inserted position.

It will be observed that the temple T is a complete unitary self-contained hearing aid unit. Unlike the hearing aid units presenty in use, the unit serves to supply sound only to one ear. Moreover, the microphone 34 is located adjacent that car, so that the sound reproduced in the ear of the wearer is the sound which actually exists at'a region very close to the ear. For this reason the unit serves to reproduce sound in a fashion closely resembling in its directional characteristics the response of a natural human ear.

It is to be particularly noted that with the above construction the directional sense of hearing is fully preserved. In other words, the wearer can detect not only the presence of sound but its direction as well. In this respect the construction of the present invention is unlike the presently used hearing aid constructions which are devoid of a direction sense and accordingly do not serve to give the wearer the same sense of hearing direction as provided by the normal ear.

Further, the construction of the present invention is very flexible. For example, if a person has defective hearing or impaired hearing in the right ear only, the dummy T would be replaced by a hearing aid like that shown at T but formed on the right temple rather than the left temple. On the other hand, if the user has impaired hearing in both ears, both temples may be hearing aids. Moreover, since the temples are unitary hearing aids requiring no outer circuit connections there is 'no necessity of providing circuit connections through the front F, with the attendant disadvantages. Still another advantage of the construction of the present invention is that in the case of a person with impaired hearing of both ears, the characteristics of separate amplifiers may be adjusted to compensate for the losses of the ears individually. Thus, if the impairment of one ear is in one frequency range and that of the other ear is in a different frequency range, the hearing aids provided in the temples may be of corresponding correction characteristics as required to provide a full restoration of hearing in each of the ears.

Figures 9 and 10 show, an alternative arrangement of the on-off switch and volume control. As shown in these figures, the housing, indicated at 114, has a recessed portion 114a. The on-off switch and volume control 128'is mounted within the housing 114 so that its shaft extends through this recessed portion to receive the control knob 128a as shown.

a Figures 11 to 15, inclusive, show another alternative form of the present invention. Parts like those above discussed in connection with the form of the invention of Figures 1-6 are identified with like reference numerals.

In the constructionof Figures 11 to 15 the battery 32 is placed in a compartment 124 located at the front part of the rear chamber 24, compartment 124 being formed by the wall 125 as shown. The bottom face of compartment 124 receives a conducting bar 138 having a contactmaking pointed head 138a. The latter acts as a stop for the battery 32 and serves to make an effective electrical contact therewith.

The open end of cavity 124 is closed by a conducting 6. door 136. This door is of circular conformation, as shown in Figure 11, with an outwardly extending car part 136a. As shown in Figures 14 and 15 the part 136a extends inwardly and rearw'ardly to embrace the pin 140 which is embedded in the main housing 14. This serves to define a hinge permitting the door 136 to swing to the open position of Figure 15 or the closed position of Figure 14 as desired.

The car part 136a of the door 136 is bent in comparatively flat conformation at 136b and 1360, Figures 14 and 15. These serve as flats to receive the leaf spring 142 which is aflixed to the cover 16 by rivets or other suitable means. When the door '136 is in closed position as shown in Figure 14 the flat 136c serves yieldably to hold the door in that position. When the door 136 is in the open position of Figure 15 the flat 13612 serves releasably to hold the door in that position.

The leaf spring 142 serves the additional function of making electrical contact with the door 136. This door has an inward protrustion 136d, Figure 14, which bears against'the inside face of the battery 32. The resulting circuit can be traced from the battery 32 to the protrusion 136d, door 136, ear 136a to flat 1360 and from the flat 1360 to the spring 142. The hearing aid circuit connections (not shown) are made to the conducting member 138 and to the conducting spring 142 to energize the hearing aid unit.

As shown in the figures, the door 136 in closed posi'-. tion is nested in the cover 16 so that the inner faces of cover 16 and door 136 are flush and present a smooth surface against the skin of the wearer. The cover 16 has a small recess which mates and cooperates with the outwardly extending portion 138e to form a fingernail receiving space within which the fingernail can be inserted to swing the cover 136 to open position.

It will be noted that the construction of Figures 11 to 15 lends itself to a rounded, comparatively smooth-and hence attractive-outer face on the housing 16. Additionally, the door 136 is located on the inner face of the temple and opens outwardly in such fashion that the door is hidden and the wearing of the temple tends to hold it in closed position.

While we have shown and described specific embodiments of the present invention, it will, of course, be understood that various modifications and alternative constructions may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. We therefore intend by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and alternative constructions as fall within their true spirit and scope.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: i

l. A hearing aid construction adapted to receive the hinge of the front of an eyeglass frame to form the temple of the complete frame, comprising in combination: an elongated member having hinge receiving conformations at its forward end to receive the hinge and at its rear end extending inwardly to grip the head of the wearer when in use, the member having a constricted portion to fit over the ear of the wearer, said constricted portion defining an inner face coextensive with the inner faces of the other parts of the elongated member to con-. form to the shape of the head and an outer face with a concavity to receive the ear of the wearer, the member further having inwardly facing channel portions forwardly of the ear receiving portions and rearwardly of the ear-receiving portion; a cover in mating relation with the inside face of the member to close the cavities defined by said channel portions; a hearing aid chassis, volume control, and receiver located in the cavity formed by said member and cover forwardly of the ear-receiving portion; a battery and a microphone located in the cavity formed by the member and the cover rearwardly of the ear-receiving portion; and means connecting the chassis, volume control, receiver, battery and microphone to de- 7, fine a complete hearing aid system responsive to sounds impinging upon the microphone.

' 2. A hearing aid construction adapted to receive the hinge of the front of an eyeglass frame to form the temple of the complete frame, comprising in combination: an elongated member having hinge receiving conformations at its forward end to receive the hinge and at its rear end extending inwardly to grip the head of the wearer when in use, the member having a constricted portion to fittover the ear of the wearer, said constricted portion defining an inner face coextensive with the inner faces of the other parts of the elongated member to conform to the shape of the head and an outer face with a concavity to receive the ear of the wearer; a microphone located within the confines of the member to the rear of the ear-receiving portion; a receiver located within the confines of the member forwardly of the ear-receiving portion; and means located within the confines of the member defining a hearing aid including the microphone and receiver.

,3. A hearing, aid construction adapted to receive the hinge of the front of an eyeglass frame to form the temple of the complete frame, comprising in combination an elongated member having hinge receiving conformations at its forward end to receive the hinge and at its rear end extending inwardly to grip the head of the wearer when in use, the member having a constricted portion to fit over the ear of the wearer, said constricted portion defining an inner face coextensive with the inner faces of the other parts of the elongated member to conform to the shape of the head and an outer face with a concavity to receive the ear of the wearer; a microphone located withinthe confines of the member to the rear of the earreceiving portion; a receiver located within the confines of the member forwardly of the ear-receiving portion; means defining a flexible sound tube extending from the receiver to fit in the ear of the wearer; and means located within the confines of the member defining a hearing aid including the microphone and receiver.

4. A binaural eyeglass hearing aid construction comprising in combination: an eyeglass front having hinges at its outboard sides; a pair of temples aflixed to the hinges, respectively, each temple being defined by an elongated member extending rearwardly of the hinge and at its rearward portion extending inwardly to grip the head of the wearer when in use, each member having a constricted portion to fit over the ear of the wearer, said constricted portion defining an inner face coextensive with the inner faces of the other parts of the elongated mem her to conform to the shape of the head and an outer face with a concavity to receive the ear of the wearer, each member having pockets located fore and aft of the ear-receiving portion, the pocket aft of the ear-receiving portion containing a microphone and the pocket fore of the ear-receiving portion containing a receiver, each member further containing means defining a unitary hearing aid system including the microphone and receiver.

5. A temple adapted to be secured to an eyeglass front to form an eyeglass hearing aid including in combination: an elongated member having a comparatively wide intermediate portion defining a pocket, a comparatively thin constricted portion aft of the intermediate portion, said constricted portion defining an inner face coextensive with the inner faces of the other parts of the elongated member to conform to the shape of the head and an outer face with a concavity to receive the ear of the wearer, and a comparatively thick rear gripping portion defining a second pocket; a receiver resiliently supported in the rear part of the pocket of the intermediate portion of the member and having a downwardly protruding tubereceiviug sleeve in spaced relation to the member; a microphone located in the pocket of the rear portion of the temple;':and means defining a hearing aid system including the microphone and receiver. I j 6. A hearing aid construction adapted to receive the hinge of the front of an eyeglass frame to form the tern: ple of the complete frame, comprising in combination: an elongated member having hinge receiving conformations at its forward end to receive the hinge and its rear end gripping to grip the head of the wearer when in use, the member fitting over the ear of the wearer; a microphone located within the confines of the member to the rear of the ear-receiving portion; a receiver located Within the confines of the member forwardly of the ear-receiving portion, the member forming a battery compartment opening on the head-receiving side thereof when in use; contact elements on the bottom of the compartment to receive and make contact with a battery therein; a con ducting door swingably positioned to cover the compart ment and make contact with a battery therein, the door having comparatively flat faces positioned in approximately right angle relation to each other; spring contact means adapted to bear against and make contact with the fiat faces and releasably hold the door in open or closed position selectively; and, means located Within the confines of the member defining a hearing aid including the microphone and receiver.

7. A hearing aid construction adapted to receive the hinge of the front of an eyeglass frame to form the temple of the complete frame, comprising in combination: an elongated member having hinge receiving conformations at its forward end to receive the hinge and its rear end gripping the head of the wearer when in use, the member fitting over the ear of the wearer; a microphone located within the confines of the member to the rear of the ear-receiving portion; a receiver located within the confines of the member forwardly of the ear-receiving portion, the member defining abattery-receiving compartment opening on the head-receiving side of the member; a conducting door swingably received on the member and in the closed position closing the compartment and form ing a face generally flush with the face of the headreceiving side of the member, the door being adapted to make electrical contact with a battery in the compartment, the door and the member having mating conformations forming surfaces by which the door may be opened with the finger; and means located within the confines of the member defining a hearing aid including the microphone and receiver.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 990,602 France Sept. 24, 1951 OTHER REFERENCES Publication by A Kumed, April 1955. 

